Certain events that happened during this weekend's session (log is in the writing) caused Mattea to desperately search for some ways to express to Olivia how deeply she loved her. One of the things she did was to write a poem. I wrote it in English to the benefit of the readers of this forum. :)

Mattea has IQ 10 and does not possess the Poetry skill, facts that I tried to convey through the poem. Mattea composed it in all seriousness, but I hope I managed to make it bad enough to be funny. I tried to make as many grammatical and "poetic" errors as I could (I even inserted a couple of spelling errors), and still keep the poem readable. The first line should be correct, though, and you can get Mattea's attempted meter there.
Allow me to tell you a thing:
I love you with all of my being!
I'm bad, as a door nob to show it
But hope that you always know it.
That's why I have written these words
Reminding you although it hurts
You're heart that I'm losing my weigh
So often, but know that I prey
For you to again show forgiveness
And put up with my impulsiveness.
I'll never (for real) turn my back to you.
So know that I'll always come back to you.
Olivia, sweetheart, my love:
You're the one I always think of!
The 2 of us fits like a glove!

__________________
You don't need to spend 100 CP on Status 5 [25] and Multimillionaire [75] to feel like a princess, when Delusion [-10] will do.

Lady Karita went to consult her cousin, Lord Karl Morgenstern, about Kine’s kerfuffle. She also hired a criminal law attorney.

I spent some time with Olivia in the morning, and then she went to continue her medical training. I searched the adventurers’ guildhall for a senior member who would be in town at the time of the auction. I found one, and he introduced himself as Romus Hansdal. We talked for a little while, and he agreed to take me to the auction. I would supply the money, and he would bid on the things I wanted, with one caveat: He wouldn’t bid on my behalf on anything he wanted for himself. We both were interested in the magic ring and the leather armor. By the end of the conversation, though, I had him wrapped so tightly around by little finger that he would do anything I asked. Now I just had to keep him there, and make it up to Olivia later. I expect I won’t be staying at the Red Mansion again before the auction.

As I’ve already decided, I need to do something romantic with Olivia. Had I been a man, I would have gone down on my knee and offered her a proposal of marriage. I can’t think of anything that can more deeply convey my love for her. Of course, as we’re both women, we can’t marry. Our kind of love isn’t exactly lauded by the community, and although few people actually speak out against it, the Church would never condone formalizing the union. If I can spy on a few wedding ceremonies, maybe I’ll get a few hints, though. Something must be done. By the way, I wonder how Kine is doing, locked up in a dark hole somewhere, at that time of the month. I hope it’s not as bad as how I get when I don’t get any for more than a day.

Thoughts on July 24th

I got up early in the morning so I could bathe before taking the short trip over to the Red Mansion where I had an awkward breakfast with Olivia. She had given her permission for me to proceed with my plan to secure access to the auction, but she didn’t like it very much. We both would have loved it if I had stayed the night in our little room in the attic, but I hadn’t. Again, I thought there was something deeply wrong with me. I just can’t help myself, sharing with the world what should be exclusively hers.

Lady Karita came down uncharacteristically early and broke the silence. She had just received word that Kine had been found and would be brought to the official city jail, where they would meet the attorney and strategize.

Olivia took me up to the attic and relieved me of the guilt, at least temporarily. I get so happy and mellow after a round with her; there is no guilt or shame associated with it when she’s the one to bring ecstasy. Eventually, the world intruded, as it was time for her to go to her training with the herbalist.

Remembering that Magnar had drowned because he had to dive alone, I determined to learn how to swim. I hate the fact that my immediate thought was that Romus probably would love to get wet with me and pass on his skills. I hate even more that I couldn’t dismiss the repulsive idea, and went to ask him. Fortunately, one might say, he didn’t know how to swim. Instead, I went downhill to the harbor area and asked around if anyone wanted to earn a few coins teaching me.

I learned that the people were loath to enter the water of the Silent Lake. It’s apparently all right to go by boat, because that’s the only way to travel between Garuk and Urdon unless one wants to go through the wilderness or take a huge detour inland. They didn’t specify what kind of danger lurked in the sea, and I didn’t press them. I didn’t need to know. Some people would call them superstitious, but I know what’s real and true when people tell me. Olivia keeps telling me how gullible I am, but she exaggerates. I know I’m not as shrewd an observer as she is, and sometimes I’m deceived, only to learn the truth later, but for the most part, people are honest. Many even say so themselves!

Olivia would be pleased that I found a satisfactorily gay guy to teach me to swim. I never make a pass at someone who isn’t attracted to me, and I’m almost supernaturally good at detecting that particular kind of attraction. Milon and I agreed to meet at a small pond half an hour’s walk on the other side of the city for swimming lessons for the next few days.

In the evening, I encountered Lady Karita at the guildhall. She told me that she had talked to Kine, who had agreed to pay a hefty fine now, rather than risking a month-long trial that could end with a trip to the hangman. I got the impression that the trial would have unearthed some facts that Kine would want to keep hidden at all costs, and that this was the main reason for her to settle the case immediately.

Lady Karita said that she had confined Kine to her rooms at the inn for now, and that we all have to act as if Kine is her slave. Why she wants me to pretend, I can’t wrap my head around. Maybe she doesn’t think I believe that Kine is her slave? Lady Karita has certainly given her freedom to do as she wants in the past. More likely, it has something to do with nobility or politics. Anyway, Lady Karita is much smarter than me, so I decided just to do as she said. Now that Magnar isn’t with us anymore, she has asserted herself firmly as the leader of our little party. I don’t mind that. I found all the bickering between the two of them tiresome.

I asked Lady Karita if there was anything on the list of auction objects on which she wanted me to bid on her behalf, but she said no. I also had seen a quest notice about exploring the area where Magnar had died, with a bonus if Magnar’s body was recovered, and I expressed a desire to get him out of there and to give him a proper burial. I said I was learning how to swim. Lady Karita asked if I had miraculously acquired the ability to see in the dark, and if I thought I could fight off whatever had killed Magnar. I had to concede in the negative to both questions, and that was that. Sometimes I don’t think things through, so it’s good to have someone sensible in command.

I had also seen a note about the mile-deep shaft we had found, but as only experienced adventurers were permitted to take that quest, we didn’t say much about it.

Thoughts on July 25th

I went to the Red Mansion and had breakfast with Olivia and Kine, and we had a talk about the trial and whatnot. I stayed with Olivia until it was time for us both to go to our respective teachers.

In the evening, I thought I heard a knock on Romus’s door, and someone calling for me, but I was too deeply immersed to care. I got a gnawing feeling it might have been Olivia who was there, but I checked outside the door as soon as I came back to my senses, and nobody was there, so it can’t have been her. For Olivia to come here, knowing what was going on, it would have taken something so vitally important that she wouldn’t leave without talking to me. I looked around the common room, just in case, but I didn’t see her.

__________________
You don't need to spend 100 CP on Status 5 [25] and Multimillionaire [75] to feel like a princess, when Delusion [-10] will do.

It was Olivia who was there, yesterday. Lady Karita had ordered her to fetch me because they had been contacted by someone who wanted to join our adventuring party and wanted my opinion of her. Olivia had been disinclined to go, but felt she had to. I wish she hadn’t had to hear what was going on behind the locked door, and I completely understand that she didn’t stick around. Poor soul! I concluded long ago that love is irrational; how can she remain in love with me otherwise?

Over breakfast, Olivia told me about all the elves she and the others had met yesterday. First, there was the one we had interrogated with Lady Karita, or rather who had been interrogated by Lady Karita while Olivia and I listened with half an ear. She wanted to hire Kine to smuggle the goods she already has loaded on her wagon; it sounded strange to me, but Olivia didn’t learn the details, so she couldn’t explain. Then another one contacted Lady Karita, playing matchmaker for an acquaintance who wanted to become an adventurer; she apparently thought our group would do well for her friend. At last, the acquaintance herself met with Olivia, Lady Karita and Kine. To show her usefulness, Va’lyndra cast a spell on the chain weapon we had found, and determined it was able to practically ignore armor. At that time, Lady Karita decided I needed to meet Va’lyndra, and forced Olivia to go; Olivia knew where I was.

I got to meet Va’lyndra a little later; she appeared in time for Lady Karita’s breakfast. When she had eaten, Lady Karita decided to take the rest of us outside the city, where we could test Va’lyndra’s skills.

She had another task for Olivia, though. She took the two of us aside, and said she wanted Olivia to keep watch on her cousin, Karl Morgenstern. Lord Karl was allowed to see his kidnapped wife and twelve-year-old son about once a month. Someone would contact him and take him outside the city, where he’d be blindfolded and lead somewhere the family could be together for a little while. Lady Karita wanted to follow them to see where the wife and son were kept, so they could be saved.

We didn’t go far outside the city walls, in case Olivia needed to get to us in a hurry, just far enough that we wouldn’t be seen or disturbed. Va’lyndra and I had a little archery competition, which she won. I may not have won, but I would have done better if I hadn’t been pining so for Olivia. Lady Karita and Va’lyndra did some fist-against-staff fighting, and the elf proved an able melee fighter. I asked her if she had any skills besides combat that could aid us when we go adventuring. She claimed expertise at stealth and tracking, so we tested those skills. Va’lyndra performed well, but not exceptionally. My impression of her is that she’ll fit right into our group. She can keep up with us, and she has both magic and fighting skills that we’re in need of.

Lady Karita and Kine took Va’lyndra to the guildhall to mingle and to register her as an adventurer, and I went to keep Olivia company until I went for my swimming lesson, at which time, Kine took over for me. I don’t know how long we’ll need to stake Lord Karl out, but it may be a couple of weeks.

I spent the evening with Olivia, but knocked on Romus’s door when darkness had fallen.

Thoughts on July 27th

I was back in time for breakfast with the others. We acquainted Va’lyndra with the case of the kidnapped family, and agreed on a watch rotation. Olivia and I would take the day watch outside his office, and Kine and Va’lyndra would watch in the evening, after he’d returned home from work. Lady Karita disclosed to her cousin that we were keeping him under surveillance. It was because she wanted him to act normally if he saw us, I guess.

The crew decided we should sell the chain weapon at the auction if we could. Lady Karita had asked the guild master earlier, and he said that an item entered now would likely get a lower price than if it was sold at the next auction. He said the next auction would likely be in two months or so. We talked it over, and agreed that we might not be in Garuk in two months, and we could do many quests before that, during which we could put the money to good use. None of us had any skill with the thing, or the desire to learn, anyway.

I found Romus at the guildhall, and asked him if he could put the chain weapon up for sale. He consented to do so, and told me that the chain weapon was called a kusari.

A couple of notes on the board caught my attention. Someone was selling their masterwork brass knuckles, and I learned there were different types of arrows; one was able to penetrate armor more easily; another had a broader head that would inflict more damage.

I found the brass knuckles seller and bought those, then I went to a fletcher’s shop and ordered masterwork arrows as well. I could see they were both sharper and sturdier than regular arrows. The fletcher didn’t claim the arrows made it easier to hit, though, and I assume he would have done so if he thought he could get a better price that way. Not that they weren’t expensive enough already. He actually wanted to know I was good for the sum. I offered him half now and half later, when I pick up the arrows; he only had the display arrows in store, and needed a couple of days to make up the order.

Thoughts on July 28th

The kidnappers have always approached Lord Karl in the afternoon or in the evening to take him to see his family, so there was no need to begin the surveillance before lunch. I spent the morning locked up in the attic with Olivia.

I reasoned that I would be a little conspicuous if I sat all day in the outdoors restaurant near Lord Karl’s office. People would recognize me, and wonder why I was staring at a building. Therefore, I let Olivia watch from the restaurant while I practiced acrobatics in the street, entertaining street urchins and passersby. She pretended to watch my antics, but in fact she was watching the building behind me. Nothing suspicious happened today, and we got to spend the entire day together.

Thoughts on July 29th

Olivia hadn’t come down for breakfast when I arrived at the Red Mansion, so I went up to the attic to see if something was wrong. I pushed open the door, but the room was empty. Now that I’m not spending the nights there, Olivia has the time to keep the place tidy, so I immediately spotted the envelope with my name on it. It glared ominously at me from the middle of the floor. My stomach dropped like a leaden weight, for I knew what the letter would say. I forced myself to pick it up and pulled out a sheet of paper. I unfolded it and read the message in Olivia’s neat handwriting, a vulgar imperative I never would have expected from her. It was just two words, but those seven letters made my stomach drop even further. I was so stunned, I didn’t react when the door slammed shut and the person who had hidden behind the door grabbed me. I heard a voice whisper in my ear, but I couldn’t quite catch the words. The hands turned me around, and I saw Olivia. She cupped my face in her hands, looked me passionately in the eyes and repeated the whisper, a prefix to the message in the letter. Suddenly, I saw the prank for what it was, and my heart leapt. I attained her state of undress before the echoes of her whisper faded: “I want to …”

We interrupted my birthday celebration to have breakfast with Lady Karita. The others were there as well. Olivia asked if the others could cover our watch as she had other plans for us today.

We brought some food and drink along, and walked out the city gates, hand in hand. We found a secluded spot near the pond where I had learned to swim, and had a picnic. We had a delightful day, relaxing in the pond, drying off in the summer sun, getting steamy, and repeating until the sun went down and the air cooled. Recalling the dangers of the dark, we hurried back to the inn, where Olivia gave me my birthday present. Again. Romus had to manage on his own tonight.

Thoughts on July 30th

I was in high spirits today. Olivia loves me! Others may wish for pretty dresses or fancy weapons, and I admit that I do too, but what Olivia gave me for my birthday, nobody else can. Anyone can satiate my hunger, but only she can give me pleasure without regret, bliss without guilt and ecstasy without shame.

I leapt and danced, tumbled and twirled, and enjoyed myself immensely while Olivia kept watch on Lord Karl’s office door. When Kine and Va’lyndra took over the surveillance, Olivia and I went to the stables and retrieved Lightfoot who had completed his training. If the people I gave a pile of coins have done their job, Lightfoot will be coming with us when we go into the dark again.

It’s just a couple of days until the auction, so I went to see if Romus was as pliable as I needed him to be. After the auction, I’ll let Olivia tie me to the cot in the attic of the Red Mansion.

Thoughts on July 31st

Nothing happened while Olivia and I watched Lord Karl today. When Va’lyndra and Kine relieved us, we went back to the pond, and I began teaching Olivia how to swim. I had found it to be remarkably easy, but I guess it would take a little more time with Olivia, what with the distractions and all.

We separated when we got back to the city. Stores were in the process of closing up, but I had time to pick up the arrows I had purchased earlier, and I managed to convince a jeweler to let me place an order.

__________________
You don't need to spend 100 CP on Status 5 [25] and Multimillionaire [75] to feel like a princess, when Delusion [-10] will do.

I trudged back to the Red Mansion this morning, trying to think happy thoughts about tomorrow’s auction, after which I’d never stray from Olivia’s side again. I couldn’t break out of the gloom on my own, and I wasn’t very good company at breakfast, but Olivia took me aside and yanked me out of my misery.

Surveillance was business as usual. Plenty of people were coming and going. Olivia was starting to recognize some of the regular visitors, but didn’t mention seeing any suspicious-looking types. After work, we went to swim again.

Thoughts on August 2nd

I met the others for breakfast at the Red Mansion. We arranged for a switch of guards, as the auction was in the afternoon, when I usually was on surveillance duty. Subdued by guilt, it was hard for me to ask Olivia for money, but I needed all I could get, to make sure I got the leather armor I wanted. The money for the sale of the kusari would only be available after the auction.

When Lady Karita came down from her room, she took me aside and said she wanted me to buy the whip for Kine, who had been relieved of all the gear she had brought when she tried busting out the other slaves, including the weaponry. She gave me a heavy pouch full of gold.

I met Romus back at his inn and gave him a quick one before we left. At the auction, I gave him all my money, to deposit with the functionaries along with his own; he would be doing the bidding, after all. He won the bid on the ring he wanted, and said that he couldn’t afford armor as well, so he could bid on my behalf on all three sets of the leather armor, if necessary. The whip came up first, though. We had noticed most items sold for more than the listed price, often up to half again that cost. Romus asked how high I wanted to go on the whip, and I said he could go as high as he needed to get it; Lady Karita had supplied about twice as much as the list price, which was fifty gold pieces. We got the whip for sixty and a half.

The leather armor was among the last things to be auctioned off, and Romus and I had plenty of time to discuss strategy. I suggested we should take it easy in the first round, to gauge the interest of the other bidders, and try to get the second or third set if the bids started getting high. He cautioned against it, saying what if the other bidders thought so as well? I don’t have any sense at all when it comes to money, so I trusted him to know best. It quickly became obvious that the armor would be expensive, for there were many bidders, and the price rose quickly. The initial bid had been eighty gold, and the bids only slowed down around one hundred and twenty. Romus told me the price now was fifty percent over the initial bid, and asked if I wanted to go on. I pondered while the crowd’s focus shifted between the two other bidders who gold piece by gold piece pushed the price upwards. It was becoming a little too costly for me, so I remained silent. “One thirty-two, going once,” the auctioneer announced, “going twice…” My elbow, with a will of its own, poked Romus in the side. I got the swamp wurm leather armor for one hundred and thirty-three gold pieces. That was more money than Olivia and I had put in together, but fortunately, Lady Karita’s gold hadn’t run out yet. The armor was heavier than I had imagined, so I don’t think I’ll be wearing the leggings and sleeves on a regular basis.

I got a fair bit of gold back when the kusari was sold. Then I said goodbye to Romus, and went to see the others at the restaurant, where I split the money for the kusari with them. I gave back to Olivia what I owed her, and then Lady Karita said she wanted the remainder of her money back. I hadn’t thought to keep track of what money was hers, and was completely bewildered. She tried to help me calculate it, but I gave up, and just handed over the rest of my gold to her. It was probably too much, but as long as we’re helping with her investigation and surveilling Lord Karl, she’s paying for room and board for us, so I don’t have regular expenses for the moment, and I think I’ve made all the purchases I need for a while. I’ve even bought a ball of string, a few fishhooks and a bar of soap, all of which I wish I’d had on our last trip into the mines. If I need to, I can mooch off of Olivia; we settle bills for each other all the time, anyway. Lady Karita, after having done her own calculations, handed back most of the gold to me, however.

Olivia and I let the others go, and I started my practice session while she watched. She didn’t see anything out of the ordinary behind me this evening.
When we got back to our little room in the attic of the Red Mansion, I made Olivia tie me to the bed and let her have her way with me. After a while, she fetched the blanket and curled up beside me, her head on my shoulder and one arm across my chest; it was just enough room for her between the wall and my still spread-eagled form.

When she falls asleep, I’m going to slip out of the bonds, at least on the side opposite from her. I long so much for holding her, for intertwining myself with her and drifting off to sleep with the feeling that everything is right in the world.

Thoughts on August 3rd
I woke to the sound of contented humming moving about the room, dispelling a vivid dream of Olivia kissing my right wrist and ankle. I started to get up, but as she turned towards me with a mischievous glimmer in her eyes, I noticed she had retied the knots.

We had breakfast at Karita-time, and then we left to have another swimming lesson. We relieved Va’lyndra and Kine for the evening watch. I borrowed pen and paper and started jotting down some thoughts. I didn’t do much acrobatics that evening, instead I wrote and wrote. I crumpled a lot of sheets today, but I was finally satisfied.

When Olivia was getting ready for bed, a poem fell out of her dress. Seeing my smug grin, she asked how I had managed to get it there. I coquettishly replied that I had ulterior motives for fondling her in the stairwell. She laughed when she read what I had written. Mirth wasn’t the emotion I had been aiming for, but as long as she’s happy, I’m happy.

Allow me to tell you a thing:
I love you with all of my being!
I'm bad, as a door nob to show it
But hope that you always know it.
That's why I have written these words
Reminding you although it hurts
You're heart that I'm losing my weigh
So often, but know that I prey
For you to again show forgiveness
And put up with my impulsiveness.
I'll never (for real) turn my back to you.
So know that I'll always come back to you.
Olivia, sweetheart, my love:
You're the one I always think of!
The 2 of us fits like a glove!

Thoughts on August 4th

Olivia and I went swimming again today. On our way to the surveillance, we stopped by the jeweler’s, where I could present her with a gold ring with the inscription “Yours forever”. It wouldn’t do for someone of her class to be seen with such an expensive piece of jewelry on her finger, so I had also ordered a silver chain, so she could wear it around her neck, hidden inside her dress. She put it on and gave me a hug, saying she knew why I was doing these things – the poem, the ring. While she thought it was romantic, she said there was no debt between us, and I should refrain from spending excessive amounts of gold to buy her forgiveness. All was forgiven, she declared, and everything was as it should be. To be safe from impulse buys, I gave her most of my coins.

__________________
You don't need to spend 100 CP on Status 5 [25] and Multimillionaire [75] to feel like a princess, when Delusion [-10] will do.

I was tumbling in the street as usual, and it was starting to get dark when Olivia signaled me. I bounded over and took a seat next to her. She told me not to look, and said that someone suspicious-looking just had knocked on Lord Karl’s door. I couldn’t help myself, and sneaked a peek anyway. I didn’t see anything differentiating this visitor from any other we had seen earlier, but I trusted Olivia’s foresight that something was wrong. She has shown time and time again that she can spot whenever something bad is going to happen, and has saved me from the shame of waking up in a strange bed more times than I care to remember.

Lord Karl appeared, and walked off with the visitor, and Olivia and I stalked behind. After seeing their general direction of movement, Olivia surmised that they were heading for the north gate. I ran back to the Red Mansion to pick up my backpack and weapon, and to gather the crew. We met Olivia at the gate, but she had lost sight of Lord Karl and his companion.

Kine and Va’lyndra soon found their tracks, though, and while Va’lyndra kept following, Kine returned to the gate to fetch us. Lady Karita asked Olivia if she was coming along. Olivia asked what her plan was, and Lady Karita said we were going to follow to the rendezvous with the kidnappers, and most likely make an ambush to liberate the captives. I didn’t want to risk getting Olivia caught up in a fight, so I sent her back to the inn with a good-night kiss. I had originally thought that we’d use stealth to sneak the hostages out, and would have brought my new armor and more healing potions than the one I always keep in my pouch if I knew Lady Karita was planning a fight. But at least Olivia would be safe.

Lady Karita, Kine and I moved out at a good pace, and it wasn’t long before Kine spotted a dark figure following Va’lyndra. Kine and I tried to sneak up on them, but Lady Karita lagged behind because she didn’t think she’d be able to move both quickly and silently.

Kine struck out with her whip, entangling the guy’s neck so he couldn’t cry out. I kicked him twice in rapid succession, and Va’lyndra, who had heard all three of us following her, hurled a dagger towards him. He had to throw himself to the ground to avoid getting hit, which made it easy for me to pummel him into submission. Lady Karita caught up with us and said she’d take care of him while the rest of us resumed the stalking.

We followed Lord Karl and his escort to the meeting place. Five men, clad in leather armor and armed with spears and bows waited there with Lord Karl’s wife and son. Preferring to fight five men with two captives rather than six men with three, we decided to find the tracks of the larger group and follow them for a while before setting up our ambush. We circled at a safe distance from the light of the lanterns, and found a path where Kine said she could see their tracks.

Lady Karita, Va’lyndra and I followed the path for a few minutes before we found a good place to ambush the kidnappers. Kine stayed to watch them and would come running when they started to move. She spotted us immediately, and we hurried to find better hiding places; Va’lyndra and I hid together behind some rocks, while Lady Karita and Kine stayed on the other side of the path.

When the five kidnappers arrived with Lord Karl’s wife and son in tow, their leader noticed Kine and Lady Karita, and ordered his men to stop. Va’lyndra and I both put an arrow in their forward archer, and he dropped to the ground. The three spear-wielding men rushed towards Lady Karita and Kine, and their second archer prepared to shoot. Va’lyndra, drawing another arrow with incredible speed, managed to take him down before he could fire at us.

Kine relieved the leader of his spear using her whip, and Lady Karita hurled a throwing star at him, but he dropped beneath its trajectory. His two followers tried to run their spears into my friends, but missed. Lady Karita shouted “Run!” and fled towards Va’lyndra and me with two of them on her heels; Kine led the third guy off in the other direction.

I took a step to the side to shoot past Lady Karita, but failed miserably and hit her instead. My masterwork arrow penetrated her cloth armor easily, and down she went. Instead of gaining a four-against-two advantage, we now were three against three. Kine, who didn’t have time to ready her whip again, tried to claw at one of the spearmen. Our two other enemies were approaching Va’lyndra and me rapidly and would be upon us before I could draw another arrow. Every cloud has a silver lining, I guess, for as Lady Karita hit the ground, Va’lyndra had a clear shot at the spearman running for her.

The shot wounded the man badly, and while he didn’t pass out immediately, he never reached us. The leader, however, came at me with a large knife he had drawn after losing his spear and slashed at me. As I wanted to get close enough to punch him, I didn’t retreat far enough from the attack, and the knife cut deeply into my belly. I managed to stay on my feet, but the intense shock made me hesitant to attack, so instead I feinted. He stepped closer and tried to stab me, but Va’lyndra had conjured a shield to protect me, and it blocked the attack. My feint had worked, and he failed to parry my punch. He grunted in pain behind his leather armor. Va’lyndra had picked up her staff, and in a few seconds, he was dead. He never managed to land another hit.

Seeing no other enemy in my immediate vicinity, I drew another arrow while casting my eyes over the battlefield. In the dark, I couldn’t see Kine’s unmoving body on the ground, but I feared the worst as her opponent came charging towards us across the path. Va’lyndra intercepted him. Fighting staff against spear, the two of them stayed far enough apart that I had a clear line of fire to the last kidnapper, and after I had put an arrow in his chest, he yielded when Va’lyndra ordered him to surrender.

I gulped down a healing potion and felt a little lighter on my feet. Va’lyndra administered one to Lady Karita. I gave her my first aid kit, tied up the guard, and released the prisoners. I explained to the woman we were friends of her husband, and that we were going to take them back to town as soon as possible. I didn’t express my fear that it might take a while, but fortunately, both Lady Karita and Kine regained consciousness within a few minutes. I apologized profusely to my unintended target.

After that short rest, and having been bandaged by Va’lyndra, I felt fit to fight again, so I suggested to her that she and I should run to see if we could overtake Lord Karl and his escort. Leaving Lady Karita in charge of the battlefield, we dashed off. Va’lyndra, with chain mail, started panting heavily after a mile or so. We conferred briefly, and I stepped up the pace, leaving her behind. I wouldn’t try to engage the escort in combat en route to the city, but hoped to meet them at the gate, where the single guard wouldn’t dare anything as I approached them. My guess was he would slink off into the shadows.

Without Va’lyndra’s elven eyes, I soon veered off from the path. Luckily, whenever I crested one of the larger hills, I could see the dim lights of Garuk in the distance, so I didn’t get completely lost on my way back. Estimating that I’d reached the city before them, I stayed inside the north gate, waiting.

Lord Karl arrived alone, and I made contact after making sure he wasn’t followed. He told me his escort had found the corpse of the man who had spotted Va’lyndra tracking them earlier, and had run off. Lord Karl took off his blindfold and came back to Garuk. I explained to him that we had liberated his wife and son, and that Lady Karita and Kine would be bringing them back. He dragged me off to find some of his personal guards, planning to go out to meet the family. He said he’d rent a horse for me. I said I’d rather get my own horse, but he didn’t want me to leave. I’m still not sure whether it was for my own safety, or his, or if he didn’t trust me.

As we left the city, Lord Karl asked if I was able to backtrack towards the battlefield. I said no, so we just spread out to watch for Lady Karita and the others beyond sight of the city walls. Thinking I’d see farther from higher up, I stood on the saddle, staring into the night. I also figured Lady Karita and Kine would recognize me that way.

Lady Karita and Kine saw a rider, and Lady Karita crept closer. She was seen, and the alarm was raised. She stepped forward, showing no weapons. Lord Karl and I arrived before anything untoward happened.

While Lord Karl went to rouse the governor, the rest of us went to the Red Mansion, to entrench ourselves in Lady Karita’s suite. I woke Olivia, and took her down from the attic along with some supplies. One of Lord Karl’s men guarded the window, and we blocked the door with furniture. After she’d looked at my wound and realized there wasn’t anything else she could do for me, I told Olivia to try to get some sleep again while I watched over her. I could sleep later. Kine had found her healing potion supply, and was rejuvenated, but I ordered her to try to sleep. Morning wasn’t too far off.

I had forgotten I’d promised to meet Va’lyndra at the north gate, but she eventually found her way to the inn and knocked on the door. We let her in.

Lady Karita, having spent the last days familiarizing herself with the area outside the city, and Va’lyndra, being our best tracker, led Lord Karl and a platoon of the governor’s soldiers back to the battleground. The three kidnappers who had survived had managed to get free from their bonds, and had fled the site. Following the path, Va’lyndra eventually found the kidnappers’ camp, where most of their forces remained. A short battle ensued between the soldiers and the bandits, and many of the bandits were taken captive, but their leaders had disappeared.

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You don't need to spend 100 CP on Status 5 [25] and Multimillionaire [75] to feel like a princess, when Delusion [-10] will do.

If anyone is interested, I saved a version of Mattea's character sheet on Google Drive. You can take a look at it here. There's also a blank sheet that people can download and use for their own characters; it's rather comprehensive, so I've made a user manual, just in case.

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You don't need to spend 100 CP on Status 5 [25] and Multimillionaire [75] to feel like a princess, when Delusion [-10] will do.